Spirited
by Everyshipunsinkable
Summary: Contribution to the 2015 Cobert Holiday Fanfic Exchange - How a little bird brings the past and present together.


**A/N First of all I want to say _thank you_ to Celina for giving me some great ideas for the storyline, and to Lynn for providing me with some much needed synonyms and for helping me battle with the English language!  
**

* * *

The room felt chilly, but Cora didn't care. She was relieved even, that she wasn't welcomed by the warmth of crackling flames in the fireplace as she entered.

She had come here to escape the heat of the Christmas preparations. Only for a bit, because there was still so much to do, so many presents to be wrapped, guests to be assigned to the right rooms, meals to be discussed with Mrs. Patmore… and it seemed that suddenly every person in the house demanded her attention for something or another.

But nobody would come looking for her here, in her upstairs sitting room, she hardly spent time in here any more, so it was the perfect place to find some peace.

She softly closed the door behind her and let her eyes wander over the light tints of the olive green walls. She had picked out the colour herself, many years ago, shortly after she had married Robert and she was still very pleased with her choice. The soft hues had always had a calming effect on her.

Making her way to one of the flower-patterned settees, her gaze suddenly fell on the small table that stood beside one of the windows. Apart from a decorative vase, it also displayed a picture frame. She closed the distance between herself and the table and picked up the frame to take a closer look. There were five people on the photograph, Robert, herself and their three girls. The picture had been taken on the day of Edith's coming out but Cora didn't pay much attention to the debutante in the centre of the image. Instead her eyes were fixed on her youngest daughter.

A sudden pang of sadness washed over her at the sight of the happy smile on Sybil's face.

Oh how she missed that smile! It pained her that she would never see it again. Never again would she hear the sweet sounds of the giggles that always warmed her heart.

Feeling tears starting to prickle in the corners of her eyes, Cora put the frame down again and turned towards the window, hoping the view outside would distract her from the hollowness she felt in her stomach. The void that had nestled itself there when Sybil had died never really left her, not one day, but somehow she had learned to live with it. Every time she was abruptly reminded of the loss however, like now, that hollow feeling seemed to wake up from its slumber, and every time it hit her hard.

Normally, the wonderful sight that stretched out in front of her, of the grounds surrounding the house covered in a thick blanket of snow, the white in stark contrast with the icy blue of the sky, would be able to chase away her sombre thoughts. Right now however, it only seemed to bring back images of her darling Sybil whose favourite season had been winter and whose excitement around Christmas time had always lifted up the spirits of everyone in the house.

A creaking sound woke her up from her reveries. Cora turned around to see the door of the room being opened slightly as her husband's head poked from behind it.

"Ah, there you are! I've been looking all over the house for you." The gleam in his eyes betrayed that he hadn't really started worrying just yet.

"What are you doing here of all pla– Cora? Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

He must have noticed her distress, because the spirited expression that had covered his face when he had entered the room, made room for a concerned one.

Not wanting to spoil his mood, Cora forced a smile on her lips. "Nothing's wrong, darling. Just a headache, that's all." She wasn't lying, not really. All the hustle and bustle of the preparations had left her with a dull throbbing between her temples.

She could tell from the frown on his brow however, that he wasn't entirely convinced of her well-being.

"Really, Robert, I'm fine. Tell me, why were you in such a hurry to find me?" she added with what she hoped sounded like a hint of a tease in her voice.

"I wanted to ask you if you were up for a walk. It looks so beautiful outside and I thought that maybe we could take the grandchildren with us, they would love the snow." He paused for a second before adding: "But maybe it's better you lied down for a bit, if you're not feeling too well."

Cora smiled at his thoughtfulness. Robert's plan made her feel a lot better already. "Taking a nap while my husband and grandchildren are having fun in the snow? I didn't think so!"

She left her spot at the window to join Robert by the door. He set a step aside to let her pass.

"Are you sure?"

She looked up to stare directly into his eyes, hoping that would finally convince him. "I am! Besides, the fresh air will do me good."

She took his hand and led him to the direction of her bedroom.

"Come on, let's get changed!"

* * *

The crisp late morning air that surrounded the house, was filled with the sounds of crunching snow underneath 5 pairs of shoes and 4 little paws, the exciting screeches and carefree laughter of three small children and the eager barks of a puppy.

Cora smiled and huddled closer to Robert as they watched their grandchildren chase Tiaa. With every step or jump she took, her legs almost completely disappeared in the thick layer of snow. The little dog was a good match for the children, but with three against one, it seemed that she was fighting a losing battle.

As Robert and Cora watched how the puppy disappeared behind a veil of snow created by Sybbie and George –Marigold was trotting a little bit behind– Robert chuckled. "Imagine them doing that to poor old Isis. I'm sure she wouldn't even have _tried_ to get away."

Cora hummed in agreement before tearing her eyes off of the adorable scene unfolding in front of her to look up at her husband. "It was a good idea of you to take the children, Robert. They are having the time of their lives and it's so nice to see them having fun and being so free!"

Robert beamed down at her. "I can see that you are enjoying yourself as well and it gladdens my heart. Suddenly his brow furrowed with concern. "Are you feeling better though? You aren't too cold, are you?"

She shook her head while smiling. "When I'm so close to you, I'm never cold."

Robert grinned and turned his head even more towards her before responding teasingly. "You know, we can even get closer together if we want to."

Taking the hint and slightly blushing, Cora placed both her hands on his shoulders and leaned in. For a moment, she could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips before he kissed her softly.

The kiss was interrupted rather too soon when the high-pitched voice of George demanded their attention. "Donk, Grandmama! Look!"

They broke apart to see why their grandson had called them. Following the pointing finger of the boy with their eyes, they quickly spotted the small bird that was perched on one of the lower branches of a nearby tree.

All three of the children seemed enthralled by the little animal as they had stopped playing to take a closer look. "Why is it red at the front?" Sybbie asked without taking her eyes off the bird.

"It's a robin, darling," Cora said softly "Robins always have a red breast."

"Why?"

Robert chuckled softly before closing the distance between himself and the children in a few steps and crouching down so he was at the same level as them. "Now, who wants to hear the story of how the robin got its red breast?" **(*)**

Cora couldn't help but smile as she saw the children regarding their grandfather expectantly as he started telling the story.

"Has Nanny told you about how baby Jesus was born?"

It was his eldest grandchild who answered the question: "Yes! He was born in a stable."

"Very good, Sybbie!" Cora noticed the pride in her husband's eyes before he continued.

"Well, that stable wasn't as nice and warm as your little bedroom in the house because, you see, there was a lot of wind and it blew out the fire. So baby Jesus and his mother were very very cold."

Cora watched how the children's eyes grew big in shock.

"So Mary asked the ox for help, but he was asleep. Then she asked the donkey for help, but–"

"Donk!" Cora couldn't suppress a giggle at the sudden exclamation of Marigold linking the animal in the story to the unfortunate nickname of her grandfather.

Robert turned his head towards his wife, raising one eyebrow, but she could tell from the way his lips turned upwards, that he was trying his best not to laugh as well. "Now where was I… Ah! But the donkey was sleeping too. Luckily for Mary and Jesus, a little bird flew into the stable."

"Robin!" George burst out.

"A robin, yes." Robert nodded. "And you know what the robin did? It flapped and flapped his wings until there was a fire again. But the fire was so hot, that it burnt the little bird's breast." Robert paused for a moment before he concluded the story: "And that's how the robin got a red breast."

"Donk?" Sybbie asked as she sought for reassurance in her grandfather's eyes as he got up again, "Did the fire hurt the robin?"

"Oh no!" Robert assuaged her concern, "You see, the robin may have been small, but it was also strong and _very_ brave!"

As if wanting to prove her master's point, Tiaa, who had managed to sneak up on the little bird that was still perched on the branch, suddenly leaped up in an attempt to catch the smaller animal. And whether the robin was indeed very brave, or it just didn't notice the puppy, it didn't move one single feather, making them all snicker with pleasure.

Only Marigold didn't seem to be amused as she tugged on Robert's coat. "Feet are cold," she pouted.

Cora saw her husband looking down sweetly on the youngest member of their family. "We can't have that, can we?" He picked her up, placed her on his arm and walked back to where his wife had been observing everything.

Cora leaned in and planted a kiss on the little girl's cheek. "Let's get back inside and see if Mrs. Patmore has some hot cocoa to warm you up, shall we?"

Cora took Robert's free arm and they started heading back. George and Sybbie, still full of energy, followed and seemed to have a lot of fun trying to walk in the traces left by their grandparents in the snow.

"That was a lovely story, darling," Cora whispered noticing how Marigold's eyelids had begun to droop.

Robert chuckled. "I'm glad they bought it. It seems that I haven't lost my story telling skills completely after all those years."

"Of course you haven't. Didn't you see how they hung unto every word you said? It reminded me of the time when our own girls were little."

His lips curled into a pleased smile as they continued to walk in silence, both indulging in memories from a time long gone.

It was Cora who broke the silence again. "Robert, do you remember that Christmas ornament that Sybil was so fond of when she was still very small… wasn't that a robin as well?"

It took him a few seconds but then the amused look on his face told her that he recalled a very particular memory. "It was! And I specifically remember how she couldn't be consoled for two days straight when it fell out of the Christmas tree and broke into a million pieces."

But as soon as the glint in his eyes had appeared, it vanished again. "I wonder if she would remember it as well if… if she was still here."

Not knowing what to say, Cora just squeezed his arm, sending him a sad smile and trying to suppress the hollow feeling in her stomach.

* * *

It was a few days later that the afternoon tea at Downton Abbey was abruptly disturbed by three little children running into the library while shouting excitedly. "Grandmama, Donk! Have you seen it? The Christmas tree!"

Cora quickly put her cup down so she could give her full attention to her grandchildren. "What about the tree, darlings?"

"Come!"

Before she was able to utter another word, she was dragged out of the library and into the great hall until she was stood in front of the enormous, beautifully decorated tree. She expectantly looked down at the three children. "So tell me, what do you have to show me?"

"It's a robin… right there!" Sybbie exclaimed, pointing a little finger.

There it was indeed, right near the top of the Christmas tree, a small ornamental robin. It looked just like the one that had shattered to pieces all those years ago.

Cora clasped her hands in front of her mouth in delight. "Oh how wonderful! She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "But how…"

She was interrupted by a strong hand being placed softly on her left shoulder. She turned her head and looked straight into the beaming face of her husband. And at that moment she knew.

"Robert! How did the… how did you do that?"

He chuckled softly. "Does it matter?"

 _No_ , she thought as she turned her head to take a look at the robin again. _No, it didn't matter._

* * *

 **(*) I don't own the story about the robin.  
**


End file.
